Nichols shows passion for fighting cancer

It seemed a quirky, fun thing to do, but it made a lot of sense. Instead of a dog, Donna Nichols dressed a month-old calf in a pink, frilly skirt and matching headdress.

BY DWIGHT DAVISThe Dispatch

It seemed a quirky, fun thing to do, but it made a lot of sense.Instead of a dog, Donna Nichols dressed a month-old calf in a pink, frilly skirt and matching headdress — with a color coordinated halter — and took it to October's Bark for Life event at Southmont Fire Department.The dogs and bovine got along swell at the cancer fundraiser, Nichols reports."It was for pets, mostly for dogs. She thinks she's a dog," Nichols says. "She comes when you call her, and she follows you around like a dog."Nichols named her little beast "Miracle" because she has beaten the odds.On the beef cattle ranch owned by Nichols and her husband, Nicky, Miracle was abandoned at birth by its mother. Among the 100 head on the 100-acre Meadowbrook Farm in Churchland, the calf left to die was discovered by Donna. Nurtured, bottle-fed and spoiled like an only child, the four-legged white face now brings joy to those who meet her and tears to Donna's eyes."It's all symbolic. She survived," Nichols said, pausing to compose herself. "A lot of cancer patients don't make it."Nichols' mother is one who didn't make it. She died in 2009. There have been a number of other friends and acquaintances who have not survived the disease.Fighting cancer is all about miracles, Nichols says, and for a number of years she has been passionate about her association with Relay for Life and cancer causes in general, which are year-round efforts. She has even held a fundraiser at Walker and Associates, the telecommunications firm where she has worked for 29 years. Funds are still trickling in from the silent auction.In addition to her fundraising efforts and work on the ranch, Nichols, who has three grown children, is also rearing two of her grandchildren, ages 6 and 7. They family has also gone into strawberry farming. They expect some 10,000 plants to bear fruit early next spring.Nichols, 49, and cohorts Angela Price and Shelia Reaves two years ago formed a Relay for Life team called The Three Musketeers = Hope. The name was a no-brainer, because the three have been friends since the fifth grade, going through the Lexington City Schools system.Nichols had a personal bout with skin cancer. "I really don't consider that serious," she said."She has a full plate. I don't see how she does everything," says Price, who retired from the Lexington Police Department after 24 years. "She has a lot of passion about everything she does. My hat's off to her. If she believes in something, she is in it 110 percent.""Anything to do with cancer, she's passionate about it," confirms Reaves, who has worked for the Davidson County Health Department for 25 years. Reaves and Price say Miracle the calf is a big hit."She's precious," Reaves described. "She was good with the kids. She's our mascot.""I love Miracle," Price said. "She drew a lot of attention. We were afraid she would be a little skittish, but she wasn't. One time she was standing by herself, and she starting mooing. She got louder until someone went over and paid some attention to her."It's a shame she is going to grow up and get real big."But she will always be a symbol of hope and life.Dwight Davis can be reached at 249-3981, ext, 226 or at dwight.davis@the-dispatch.com.